Timor-Leste Participates in Cybersecurity and Digital Transformation Discussions in Singapore
The Minister of Transport and Communications, Miguel Marques Gonçalves Manetelu, participated in the Singapore International Cyber Week (SICW) 2026 and the 11th ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Cybersecurity in Singapore from October 12th to 15th, 2026. During these events, he discussed strengthening regional cybersecurity cooperation and held a bilateral meeting with Singapore’s Minister for Digital Development and Information, Josephine Teo.
The 11th edition of the Singapore International Cyber Week, organised by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, brought together ministers, government officials, representatives of international organisations, experts, and private-sector representatives to discuss current and emerging cybersecurity challenges and to strengthen international cooperation in this area.
This year’s edition addressed, among other topics, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, the protection of critical infrastructure, cyber incident response, the development of specialised human resources, and international cooperation to strengthen digital resilience.
As part of the SICW, Minister Miguel Marques Gonçalves Manetelu participated in the 11th ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Cybersecurity on October 14th, which brought together representatives of ASEAN Member States and the ASEAN Secretariat to examine regional cybersecurity challenges and strengthen cooperation and capacity to respond to cyber threats.
The Conference welcomed the ASEAN Cybersecurity Cooperation Strategy 2026–2030 and addressed issues such as the protection of critical infrastructure, combating ransomware and online scams, risks associated with artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, information sharing, and the strengthening of national and regional incident response capabilities.
In this context, Singapore announced an additional SG$30 million investment over the next five years to strengthen regional capabilities through the ASEAN-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence. The support covers areas including cyber incident response, critical infrastructure protection, artificial intelligence-related risks, and cyber diplomacy. Since its establishment in 2019, the Centre’s programmes have reached more than 2,200 participants from ASEAN, Pacific Island countries, and other regions.
On the sidelines of the meetings, Minister Miguel Marques Gonçalves Manetelu met with Minister Josephine Teo in a bilateral meeting on October 13th. The meeting focused on cooperation between Timor-Leste and Singapore in digital transformation and cybersecurity, including human resource capacity development.
During the meeting, Josephine Teo expressed Singapore’s willingness to continue sharing its experience in digital transformation and to support capacity building for Timorese technical personnel, particularly in digitalisation and cybersecurity.
Minister Miguel Marques Gonçalves Manetelu highlighted Singapore’s experience in these areas and noted that Timor-Leste could benefit from Singapore’s knowledge and solutions, adapted to national realities, existing capacities, and available resources.
The Singapore International Cyber Week 2026 also served as a platform for launching Singapore’s Cybersecurity Strategy 2026, which sets out measures to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure and the digital ecosystem, prepare responses to risks associated with artificial intelligence and quantum technologies, and develop specialised human resources.
